TEACHERS face redundancy, class sizes could rise to 30-plus and book buying could become a thing of the past in Medway's schools, councillors are warning.

Schools face a cut of £120 per pupil from April because of a cash crisis. And teachers expect many of their colleagues to respond by resigning.

A four hour debate at the weekend ended with members of Medway's Youth and Education committee deciding to lobby colleagues for major council tax increases to save schooling improvements in the towns.

One leading councillor, Independent Liberal Democrat leader Ian Burt, called on councillors to ignore May's election. He said they should demand a 20 per cent increase in council taxes.

It was the only way to ensure that children do not lose the improvements that have been made in Medway, he told the committee.

The council took over schooling from Kent County Council in 1998 when it was created as a unitary authority. But the government's latest education settlement for Medway at 3.2 per cent - creating a £7 million shortfall - is among the lowest in Britain. Councillors and finance officers are seeking reasons from the Government for the low figure.

Headmaster Keith Williams, representing Medway members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), told councillors: "We feel we are being taken for a ride, and so are parents and their children."

Cllr Pat Wozencroft (Cons) has written to the new Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, to protest at the shortfall in the budget.